The Darkroom Automation f-Stop Timer is available again, see - http://www.darkroomautomation.com/da-main.htm
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Could you elaborate on what makes the Darkroom Automation timer outclass the RH Designs timers?I've used plenty of timers in my life, including the RH Designs ones, and the Darkroom Automation fstop timer is in a different class.
Could you elaborate on what makes the Darkroom Automation timer outclass the RH Designs timers?
... I have found my RH timer to be finicky inasmuch as the exposure button, which also serves as a channel switch for split-grade printing, does not reliably switch channels and often starts the timer instead.
I will try right now. Thanks.Have you tried prying the button cap off and spritzing in some contact cleaner? Keep the button plunger depressed so you can get the cleaner inside the button mechanism. I confess, I don't know how pryable the button caps are (or even if they are pryable) - so if the cap does come off easily I wouldn't force things.
Has anyone used one of these timers with APO optics and did it prove to be a challenge to use in the manner it was designed for?
X 2 on 230vlt version
Well, yes, I have - not much of a surprise, I imagine. I don't know why an APO lens would have any bearing; the exposure times are shorter but no different than when you are making small prints.
Maybe you are confused about f-stop timing. The time steps are in f-stop increments. The f-stop on the lens has nothing to do with it.Only that their sweet spot is so wide open and I couldn't picture whether the timer would have incremental issues in that part of the lens controls. It might work fine and I'm just curious about anyone dealing with the issue. My small brain can deal with 0.1 second intervals but was concerned about that sort of ƒ stop control in the narrow range that I like to function in. Some of my hesitation/question is from my comfort level with how I've done things, I imagine. I'm one of the odd guys that got a handle on the Wallner gear, where each batch of paper would develop an index for max black and one could work backwards from that by measuring the contrast range of the negative and with minimal practice, get a solid print on the first try. I don't tend to do quantity printing anymore and the gear is getting dated so I was looking for some replacement ideas. I lost my darkroom for a couple of years and am just getting re-set so I was following my curiosity for possible new gear. I'm 70 and find I'm not so adaptable these days! BTW, I've got your enlarging meter and that will be following me back into the dark and it looks the trick so far.
Maybe you are confused about f-stop timing. The time steps are in f-stop increments. The f-stop on the lens has nothing to do with it.
(I) can deal with 0.1 second intervals but was concerned about that sort of ƒ stop control in the narrow range that I like to function in.
Thats great to know.The timer is available in 230V/50Hz. It does come with US style outlets though, so you will need to use plug adapters.
If demand is high enough I will make a version with IEC outlets.
Thanks for the response. I've got an RH Designs Analyzer Pro which I really like, but the DA timer looks really nice as well. Always good to see more darkroom-related equipment being manufactured.Hey, that's a good question: for me, the elegance in the design of the DA timer was the big difference. 4 buttons, and you could do everything you need. It's ease of use in the dark was second to none - I found it to be very intuitive, my fingers can just fly around the "keyboard" without even looking at them. You can make moves fast, if that makes sense. I borrowed an Analyzer Pro for a few weeks and thought it was clunky to use in practice. There's no denying that the RH Designs is nice and solid, and the buttons have a good feel to them. Both timers are made very well.
I also very much appreciate that the DA timer is a "pure" fstop timer, in that the exposures are measured strictly in stops. I don't care about seconds when I'm printing; not one bit. If I want to burn the sky in half a stop, I quickly click through to +0.5 - easy. Once I started thinking in this manner, my prints came quicker and better. The RH Designs timer still wanted to tell me the seconds value, and that slowed everything down to me.
My best prints are made when I'm not even thinking about the equipment; just balancing the light, and reacting to a negative. I know everyone prints differently - I've worked with a lot of printers over the years. But it boils down to the fact that with the DA Timer, I don't even know I'm using it. With the RH Designs I was getting held up.
I'm really happy Mr. Lindan is making them again. I've got no affiliation with him, it's just super nice equipment.
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